Skip to content
openDemocracy
Subscribe

YouTube removes official channel of TB Joshua’s megachurch

The platform acted after oD reported abusive content targeting survivors of the Synagogue Church of All Nations

By Madeleine Jane, Margaret Coker and Soita Khatondi Wepukhulu
YouTube removes official channel of TB Joshua’s megachurch
Evelyn Joshua, centre, the widow of TB Joshua, who launched the most recent iteration of the Emmanuel TV channel following the death of her husband in 2021. She is pictured at a ‘crusade’ rally in Nairobi, Kenya, in October 2023
Published:
Share

YouTube has taken down Emmanuel TV, the main channel run by TB Joshua’s megachurch empire, amid allegations the late preacher had for decades groomed and raped multiple former leaders of his ministry.

It comes after openDemocracy identified and reported more than 50 abusive videos amplifying abuse against Joshua’s accusers on the video platform.

It is the second time in three years that openDemocracy’s reporting has led to YouTube suspending content from the late preacher’s Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN). In 2021 the Google-owned tech company took down another channel controlled by the church after deciding that it was violating its user guidelines due to broadcasts of anti-LGBTIQ hate speech. As a result, the ministry lost the ability to broadcast to its then 1.8 million subscribers.

This article is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International licence. If you have any queries about republishing please contact us. Please check individual images for licensing details.

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0